Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Emmit Kane said efforts to fight O'ahu's record number of brushfires this year have been hindered by a federal law that went into effect in January that makes it illegal to transport Jet A fuel (the type used by HFD's Air One helicopter) from an airport if the fuel has been piped into the airport.

Honolulu International Airport, for example, has its fuel piped in from Campbell Industrial Park.

Airports that truck in fuel — such as airports on Neighbor Islands — aren't affected by the law, he said.

"Before the law, our Air One chopper was able to refuel at a tanker at the command center," Kane said yesterday. "But now Air One must retain enough fuel to fly to the airport, refuel and return."

Paradise Helicopters pilot Richard Potts, who flew the DLNR chopper yesterday, said flying to the airport and back eats up more than a third of the time he could otherwise be dropping water on a fire.

"If I'm flying eight hours, I would say probably three hours of that is used up going back and forth to the airport," Potts said. "It's a mess. It cripples us."

Nine helicopters were used to fight the flames yesterday, but only two civilian-run helicopters were affected by the federal law. The seven military helicopters use a different type of fuel and also refueled with their own resources.

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.